A Fruits Basket Story
by EgoBrain
Summary: Kairi, our lead who just happens to be baised off myself, travels around with her aunt, and can never seem to fit in anywhere. This changes when she mets Tohur Honda, and a strange family known as the Sohmas. They give her a home, as well as the family sh
1. Prologue&Chapter 1

Prologue

A music box and a silver heart shaped locket. My most valued possessions, worth all the money in the world in my eyes. The music box has a simple design: it's made of wood, with flower design and some old kanji carved on the top. Though it's old, when opened it plays its song as splendidly as it did the day it was made. Though by now it's scratched and the paint all but gone, it will always be beautiful in my eyes. And the locket, which used to be my mother's, still shines brilliantly in the light of the sun. I wear it always, to help me remember. Remember my mother's love for me, as well as other things. I've never opened it, it's stuck. I've always wondered what's inside it, and maybe someday, when I'm strong enough, I'll be able to find out.

It's hard to believe this is all I have left of what used to be my family. Even the curse is gone now.

Sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I had never meat the strange family known as the Sohmas. Would I go through my whole life not knowing the truth about what I am? Would I continue to live blindly as I have for the past sixteen years? Would I be better off with out them?

But then he smiles at me, and all my doubts disappear.

Chapter 1

"Hurry up Kairi, you're going to be late for school." My aunt yelled from downstairs.

"Huh!" my aunts voice snapped me from my trance.

"School. You know, where your suppose to be right now!" she yelled.

I look at the clock. "Oh crap I'm late!" I yell, grabbing my bag and bolting out the door.

"Wait!" My aunt called after me. "You need an umbrella!"

"No time!" I call back running out the door. Our house at the time was surrounded by woods. My new school was only a few miles away, so I walked there.

Not three yards from the house, I was regretting my decision not to bring an umbrella. It was starting to poor rain.

"Oh now that's perfect. I'm going to be socked!" I said to myself.

The walk to school was not a long one, but even still, I was soaked to the bone when I walked into the door. Thousands of eyes feel upon me in an instant, and I looked away as best I could. I stood out like a sour thumb! Everyone else was mostly dry and had on the school uniform. As for me, I was wearing baggie jeans, a black t-shirt, over which I wore my favorite hoddie, black with an orange cats head on it. I've always liked cats. I just seemed to have a better understanding of them. They aren't as judge mental as people are.

Of course, I have other reasons for liking cats, but that's my secret.

"Hello! Who might you be!" a cheery voice asked from behind me.

I gasped, snapped once again out of my own little world. I wondered why someone would talk to me. That was definitely a first.

When I turned around, I saw a girl about my age, with long brown hair and a skirt that was way too short for my liking. I mentally cringed when I remembered I too would have to wear the hideous uniform.

"Um, hi." I said, not really sure how to react. "M-my name is Kairi Nomura. I'm new here."

"Oh so you're the new girl! I was wondering why you didn't have a uniform!" she said. "Oh, where are my manners. My name is Tohru Honda. Pleased to meat you!" she bowed. "I can help you find the office if you want."

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to think of Tohru Honda at first. She seemed like a total ditz brain. But she was talking to me, a first in my book. And I was in no situation to pass up a possible friend. Plus I had no idea where I was going.

So I decided to be friendly. What do I have to lose? "Sure. I'd just end up getting lost on my own." I confessed. "My since of direction sucks."

"Okay!" she said, grabbing my hand, forcing me to follow her. "This way Nomura-san!"

"Okay." I answered. We were getting so many funny looks, but I didn't care. I was used to it. Either Tohru didn't know or didn't care. She just kept on going, smiling all the while.

After we stopped in the office and got my class list, locker number, and of course, the dreaded uniform, Tohru offered to take me to the restroom to get changed and cleaned up. I took her up on that offer in an instant. First we tried to dry out my hair. After paper towels, we tried the electronic hand dryer, neither attempt giving us much success.

"That's as good as its gona get." I said, heading into a stall to change.

She giggled. "How did you get so wet anyways?"

"Forgot my umbrella." I answered, thinking that was the obvious answer to her question. "I was kind of out of it this morning."

"Tee-hee, that happens to me sometimes too. So, where are you from exactly?"

"Everywhere." I answered from the stall. I was attempting to button the sailor-style blouse, without much success. "My aunt travels a lot with her work."

"So you live with your aunt then?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah. My mother died when I was eight or nine. Her side of the family shunned us, so I'm living with my dad's sister." I hated telling people about my family, because no matter what, I could never tell them the whole truth. They'd never believe me, let alone understand.

"Oh I'm sorry." She apologized. "I had no idea! I didn't mean to-"

I cut her off before she could finish. "It's okay. You didn't know. And I don't mind. At least someone's _talking _to me."

"What do you mean?"

Oh shit I didn't mean to say that last part out loud! "It's just that, before, at my other schools, no one talked to me much. They'd all just… shy away from me, ya know? Like they thought I was gona bite them or something." I finished with my top and moved on to the skirt. Thank god my aunt knows I hate wearing skirts, she got me one that just passed my knees. I made a mental note to thank her later.

"I'm sorry. I don't see why, you seem like a good person to have as a friend Nomura-san."

No one had ever said something like that to _me_ before. "Really Honda-san?"

"Yup! And from now on you don't have to worry about that kind of thing. I'll be your friend!"

I laughed a bit in spite of myself. "I'd like that. Thanks Tohru-chan. Oh, you don't mind if I call you Tohru-chan, do you?" I felt a little embarrassed for calling her that.

"No, of course I don't mind Nomura-san!" she said cheerfully.

I was dressed and folding up my cloths by now. "Just call me Kairi, okay?"

"Kairi-san?" she said it like a question.

"What?" I responded.

"Nothing, I just wanted to say it. Sorry."

"Eh, don't worry about it." I said opening the door and walking out.

"And I didn't get to say this before, but my mother died too, earlier this year." Tohru said, still smiling, but with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry Tohru."

"Thanks." She said. "You look great in that uniform Kairi-san."

She changed the subject, so I guess she doesn't want to talk about it. People don't change the subject it they want to talk about something, right? "Heh, it's not really my sort of thing." I put my cloths down next to my bag. Tohru's eyes seemed to light up when she saw the cat hoodie.

"Oh what a cute cat!" she said.

"I was wearing it before, didn't you notice?" I asked as I pulled out my hair brush and started to brush my tangled, still damp hair.

She rubbed the back of her head. "I guess not… so you like cats Kairi-san?"

I smile, "Yes. I love cats. My mom used to tell me that old zodiac story when I was younger. I always liked the cat."

"Me too!" said Tohru. "I even wanted to make a year of the cat fan club."

"Hey can I join?" I asked jokingly.

"Sure, of course!"

Oh yes, I remember that story very well. It's one of the few good memories I have from my childhood: _Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, God invited all the animals, "I'm inviting you all to a banquet tomorrow. And don't be late." After hearing this, the mischievous rat lied to his neighbor, the cat, telling him the banquet was the day after tomorrow. _

_The next day, the rat rode on the back of the cow and arrived at the banquet hall before all the others, thus gaining the first place in the zodiac. After him came the cow, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the ram, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the boar. Together they all feasted until morning. All except for the foolish cat who had been tricked, both out of he banquet and a place in the zodiac._

I cried the first time I heard that story, but I decided not to tell Tohru that. Instead I said, "I always wanted to show the cat that I cared about him. Funny, in a way, the cat from the story was my first love. Silly huh?" Oh yeah Kairi, _that's_ a hell of a lot better!

"That's not silly at all." She said. But her smile was different now. I wasn't sure how, but it looked to me like she was hiding something.

_That's stupid_, I though to myself, _what would she be hiding?_

If only I knew…….

I finished with my hair and put the brush away, sticking it and my cloths in my back-pack. I walked over to the full body mirror and examined myself. My shoulder length brown hair was still a little wet, and it looked a little stringy. My face was pail from lack of sunlight, as were my legs. My emerald green eyes seemed to stand out against the rest of my features. Seeing myself in a skirt was a surprise. The girl's uniform was sailor-style and navy blue. The guys uniform that I had seen before was black pants, a black shirt and a tie. How I envy them.

"What's your home room class?" Tohru asked.

"2-D I think."

"I'm in that homeroom! This is great! I can introduce you to my friends! I know they'll like you! Come on let's go!" she grabbed my wrist and tried to pull me out of the bathroom.

"Hold on, I need to get my book-bag before we go!" I told her. I grabbed my bag, threw it over my shoulder, and followed Tohru down the hall.

We walked through the hall ways and into the classroom. It was here I meat the first of the Sohmas, the people who would change the course of my destiny.

As we entered the room, we were confronted by a boy with silver hair and purple eyes. He had a sort of, I don't know, a girly look about him. I remember thinking that he was so beautiful, and wondering if this was a dream, or if I'd died and gone to heaven.

"Hello Honda-san." He greeted Tohru. "Who is this?"

My cheeks were beginning to turn red, I could feel it. 'Try not to say anything stupid!' my inner voice screamed at me. "I'm Kairi Namura. I'm new here."

"I see." He smiled slightly. "My name is Yuki Sohma. It's nice to meat you Namura-san."

"N-nice to m-meat you too." I said. The bell rang and the students took their seats.

"Looks like I'll have to wait till after class to introduce you to the rest of my friends." Tohru said disappointedly.

"Okay." I said. Tohru went to go sit down. I tried to follow her, but a hand on my sholder stopped me. It was a woman I assumed was the teacher. She was young and quite tall, with longer hair pulled up into a pony-tail.

"Aren't you the new girl?" she asked.

"Yeah." I shrugged.

"Thought so. Okay. Find yourself a seat and I'm going to take role. The rest of you, do you're homework or something."

I scaned the room for a seat, wondering if this women's really a teacher or if she's some sort of pod person. The seat next to Tohru was taken, as were all the ones anywhere near Yuki.

_Taken by girls no less_, I thought to myself bitterly. _And why are they all stareing at him like they're going to eat him? Oh great, now they're looking at me. Man these girls are scary. Poor Yuki…_

Then I saw him, and all my previous thoughts seemed to disappear.

An orange-haired boy sat towards the back of the room, and, like almost everyone else in the room, he's staring at me. His hair caught me off guard. I mean, I've seen red heads, but never orange heads. I wondered if that was his natural color.

Though there's something different in his crimson eyes. Annoyance? Anger? Our eyes locked, and he blushed slightly, just like I knew I was. But neither of us broke contact.

Then, well, I'm not sure what happened exactly. I started walking towards him. I just couldn't help it. It was almost like I was under a trance. At the time I thought it was just because he was good looking.

I sat down in the desk next to his, our eyes still locked. He's even more good looking up close, I thought. "Um, hi."

He turned so his back was facing me, "Whatever."

More embarrassed now than I had been all day, I faced the top of my desk and tried to swallow the lump that had grown in my throat.

The teacher walked up to the board and started to write something. Me, being the idiot that I am, sat in the back and couldn't see anything.

"Damn it." I muttered under my breath, reaching into my bag and pulling out my glasses. They were black with thick rims. I only had to use them for reading small print, or things that were further away, such as the chalkboard. I go back and forth between wearing them and not.

"You wear glasses?" he questioned. It surprised me a little, enough so that I had to hold back a yelp.

"Uh, yeah. Sometimes. Usually I can see fine…"

"You don't have to explain it!" he said angrily, "I just asked a simple question."

"Jeez, what crawled up your ass and died?" I returned.

"New chick, Orange-head, will you be quite I'm trying to teach up here!" The teacher yelled at us from the front of the room.

"Yes. Sorry." I apologized. The rest of the class was snickering and pointing at us.

Oh great, why does this always happen to me? Every where I go, I get treated like this. I wonder why that is? Well, I do have an idea, but that's impossible, my curse was lifted a long time ago.

Wasn't it?

_Of course it was_, I thought to myself. _I wouldn't be here if it wasn't._

The rest of the morning was no better. I sat there and pretended to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. Every once and a while, I caught the orange head staring at me, but when I looked at him he turned away.

The lunch bell finally rang and the students filtered out of the room.

"So, how was class Namura-san?" Yuki asked me.

"It was okay." I said. Though I wasn't paying much attention. I was watching the orange-head stalk out of the room. Why do I feel so attracted to him? I know he's good looking, but this is crazy! I can't even take my eyes off of him long enough to hear what Yuki's saying to me!

"I wonder if he's okay?" Tohru asked.

"It's just the rain. I'm sure he'll be fine." Yuki assured her.

It was obvious that they knew each other, but before I got a chance to ask about it, I was interrupted by someone else.

"Hey Tohru are you ready for lunch?" she asked. It was one of the girls from our class. She was blond and wore her skirt long, like some sort of yankee. There was another girl with her, who had long black hair and lightless eyes.

"Um, yes. Let's go."

"Ah, and who might this be Tohru-kun? A new friend?" The other girl asked.

"Yes! This is Kairi-san!" Tohru said smiling, of course. "Kairi-san, this is Arisa Uotani-san and Saki Hanajima-san. I call them Uo-chan and Hana-chan. They are my best friends."

"A pleasure to meat you." Hana said with a sligh bow, her long braid falling forward as she did so.

"Same here. Now let's eat!" Uo declared.

I sat with them and ate my lunch: a ham sandwich and a bag of chips. Of course, because I shoved my cloths in my bag with full force, they were crushed. I was hungry enough by now I didn't care. Eating was always a favorite hobby of mine, and other than veggies, I'm not a picky eater.

"So," Uotani asked over her bowl of ramen, "its Kairi right?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"It's a cute name." Yuki commented. I blushed.

"But… your waves are very strange." Hana said.

"Hum? What's that?" I asked.

"Yes. Very strange waves." She added, nibbling at a potato chip. "Could be dangerous."

I was deeply confused. What the hell was she talking about? "What do you meen 'waves'?" I asked.

"Hana-chan can sence peoples electro poison waves!" Tohru explained.

"I still don't get it…"

"In a way it's like mind reading." Hana explained. "I can reed peoples emotions and feelings. They sort of enter my mind like waves."

"Oh. Okay I think I get it now." Though really I had no clue what she meant.

"So Nomura-san, how are you liking school?" Yuki asked me.

I shrugged, "Its okay I guess. I don't really like school too much."

"Neither do I" Uo said, taking a break from her ramen-scarffing to take a drink. "So, you said you live with your aunt? Where at?"

"We bought a house in the woods a mile or so from here." I said.

"Sounds nice." Said Hana.

"It's okay. I like it better than living in the middle of the city anyways." I said, opening my chips and shoving a handful in my mouth. The rough edges scraped the room of my mouth.

It was nice. Sitting there, eating lunch with them. For the first time, I had friends outside my family. Real friends, not people you get stuck with because no one else wants to talk to them either. They were talking with me because they wanted to, and if felt good. I smiled, this was nice. Maybe I can fit in here after all…

_"It's always quietest before the storm." _My mothers voice rang in my head, as it often did. I thought about her words as the others kept chatting and eating. Why would I remember those words _now,_ of all times? What were they suppose to mean? These were nice people, they welcomed me and made me feel like I belonged.

If only I had known then…

Impossible, how could I have known? But as always, my mother was right in the end.


	2. Chapters 2&3

I put the two chapters together for two reasons;

1. To save me time

2. Because chapter 2 didn't have a lot of the origioal furuba characters in it, and since this is a fruits basket story, I assume you want to see Tohru and the Sohmas at some point, right?

I know, they haven't been around much yet, but that'll change here real soon, so just hang in there.

Chapter 2

I took a deep breath of fresh air as I exited the school building. The first day was finally over.

As far as first days go, it wasn't so bad, other than the glares I'd gotten from the orange head, whose name I still didn't know, it was actually kind of nice.

"I have to go to work." Said Tohru, I had almost forgotten she was there. "See you tomorrow Kairi-san."

"Bye." I answered, and she walked off across the street and around the corner, out of my line of vision.

Then something cought my eye. I turned to watch, though the scene didn't registered for a few moments. Yuki and the orange-head were arguing from across the school yard. Yuki looked calm, where as his the orange-head waved his fists around and yelled at Yuki, though I couldn't make out the words from clear over across the yard. They were starting to attract quite an audience.

I was debating on weather I should walk over there or not, when the orange-head lashed out at Yuki. I was shocked, but Yuki blocked his punch and threw him to the ground with what looked like little effort.

"Wow." I said to myself. "I didn't know he could do that."

The orange-head was back up on his feet, kicking and punching at Yuki with full force, but he kept blocking his blows.

I continued to watch in fascination, till I suddenly remembered the concept of time.

"Oh crap I don't have time for this! I need to get home before my aunt leaves." I realized that I was talking to myself, and that passers by were watching me with a weary eye. Ignoring them, I left the school yard and headed towards the woods.

I hiked through the woods, singing under my breath. In my mind I could hear my music box, playing the tune as I sang.

_"I was so happy when you smiled,_

_Your smile breaks through the clouds of gray,_

_Far from the sunny days that lie in sleep"_

It was the song my mother had sung to me when I was a child. It held a lot of bitter-sweet memories. I imagined her joining me in singing.

_"Waiting with patients for the spring_

_When toe flowers will bloom in new again_

_Knowing there's more beyond the pain of today._

_All though the scars of yesterday remain,_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes._

_You can't be born again, all though you can change._

_Let's stay together always."_

A slight rustling in the bushes broke my trance. I wasn't alone. Someone was here with me.

I looked around, and, to my surprise, spotted the orange-haired boy not a hundred yards behind me. I hadn't even noticed him until now. Sometimes I get _really _out of it, and I don't notice what's happening around me. He looked ragged, bleeding from the lip, clutching his arm as if it were sprained and wobbling a bit as he walked.

I walked up to him. He seemed just surprised to see me.

"What are you doing here!" he demanded.

"I'm walking home." I said. "And why are you so rude to me! I mean I know you got your ass kicked but-"

"Shut up!" he yelled, flustered. "What do you know about it anyways!"

"I saw the fight." I said. "You weren't half bad, but I guess you lost anyways, huh?" _Why am I trying to be nice to him_! I mentally screamed at myself. _If anyone else had talked to me like this I would have let them have it!_

"It's none of your damned business!" he grumbled, pushing past me.

"Are you okay?" I asked. "Do you need help getting home?" _Why am I doing this!_

"I don't need your help!" he declared, slipping in the mud and falling to his knees.

I shrugged and bent down to help him up, "My name's Kairi."

He pushed my hand away and pulled himself up. His cheeks were red, and his face had a smear of mud on it to go along with the blood. "I'm Kyo." And with that he ran, or at least tried to run, down the other path, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

_He's kinda cute when he blushes like that._ I thought.

"Damn it! Why am I thinking like this! He was a total jerk to me!" I yelled. "If I start turning into one of those girls who goes all crazy every time she sees a cute guy I swear I'll kill myself!" Though even after I said the words, I couldn't make the feelings go away. I felt, I don't know… attached to him in some way.

Since I couldn't make those feeling go away, I shoved them into the deep corners of my mind, hoping that if I left them there long enough they'd go away.

I walked in the door and found my aunt sitting at the kitchen table looming over some photographs. Her blond hair draped over her shoulders, shielding her eyes.

"How was your day Hon?" she asked.

"It was okay." I shrugged. "I'm gona go change out of this damned thing, I'll be right back."

"'Kay." She said, not looking up from her work.

I ran upstairs to my room and flopped down on my bed. The room seemed foreign, and showed no hint of my taste. As did most of the bedrooms I've had sense I came to live with my aunt. We moved so much re-decorating was pointless. The walls were white and the floor was covered with plush-green carpet. I had a few posters hanging on the walls, but I hadn't had a chance to unpack the most of my things yet. My silky blue comforter draped over my bed, and the small wooden dresser sat in the corner, already over-flowing with cloths. The book shelf stood taller than I did. Piled high with manga and my faveoite paperbacks, it seemed to loom over the rest of the room. Already my desk was covered with papers and other random junk. I could hardly see the computer under all the crap.

I wouldn't have it any other way.

I noticed my cat Miko lying in my chair. I walked over and stroked her calico-colored fur. She purred and rubbed against my hand for a moment before jumping off the chair and going downstairs, probably to eat.

I threw off the uniform and changed into some black jeans and an anime t-shirt I had gotten at a convention a few years before. Many of my aunt's photography jobs involved taking pictures of cosplayers at anime conventions, and I often tagged along on these little "missions". I liked anime.

I pulled the still-wet cloths out of my book-bag and draped them over the tub in the bathroom. Catching a glimpse at myself in the mirror I noticed that I still had on my glasses. Not bothering to take them off, I headed down stairs to the kitchen.

My aunt was still sitting there when I arrived. I walked over to the fridge and pulled out a soda. Opening it, I asked, "What are you working on?"

She sighed. "Just another magazine layout. I have to be in Tokyo tomorrow for the meting. Come," she waved me over, "Tell me what you think."

I looked over her shoulder at the pictures. They were of Mt. Fuji, Tokyo tower, and various other tourist's spots around Japan.

"Looks nice." I said, taking a gulp of soda.

"Thanks. How was school?"

I shrugged, "It was okay."

"Were people nice?" she asked, re-arranging the pictures.

I thought back about the cold glares I had been giving by my peers that day. Especially that Kyo boy. "Not really."

"Make any new friends?" she only sounded half interested in what I had to say.

I smiled, remembering Tohru, Yuki, Hana, and Uo. "Yeah. I did as a matter of fact."

"Well, it's about time." She said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "I was beginning to think that there was something wrong with you, and you'd be stuck all alone with the cat for the rest of your life."

I rolled my eyes. Why was she always teasing me about that zodiac cat bullshit? Why couldn't she just let it drop?

"I've got homework." I grumbled, taking my soda up stairs. My aunt said something to me as I walked up the steps, but I wasn't listening.

"Damn I can't concentrate worth a crap tonight!" I yelled, throwing my book down on the floor. Heck, I could never concentrate when it came to studying!

"Oh well!" I sighed, flopping down on the bed, "I do well enough in school without studying anyways."

I laid there for a moment, listening to the music on my stereo. I felt restless. I needed to get up and do something.

"I think I'll go for a walk." I said pleasantly to myself. I could hear the rain pounding lightly against the window, so I grabbed my umbrella and headed down the stairs.

"Where are you going?" my aunt asked. She was sitting on the couch in her bath robe, flipping through the channels on the TV.

"I'm going for a walk." I said, sliding open the door, "I'll be back soon." I quickly slid the door shut before she could object and was on my way, big black umbrella protecting me from the rain.

My aunt and I had never been very close. Her name was Aiko, though I almost never addressed her by name. When I had been younger, me and my mother lived with her family. After she... after she lifted my curse, the family shunned us. She became ill and passed on. I guess it was just too much for her, supposedly it takes a lot of energy to lift a curse as strong as mine was. The Nomura's wanted nothing to do with me, so I went to live with my father's sister.

I felt a tear in my eye, and held it back as hard as I could. Crying meant weakness, a weakness I didn't want to admit I had.

_It's okay Kairi_. I heard my mother say. _You can cry, its okay. There's noting wrong with being sad._

"I miss you mom." I said, touching the silver locket. As long as I had it with me, it was as if my words could some how reach her, where ever she was.

I continued walking, exploring the paths through the forest and humming under my breath. Then something caught my eye. There was something lying on the ground, half-hidden by brush.

"What is it?" I asked myself as I walked towards it. I pushed the leaves back and revealed a bracelet, made with round black and white beads. For some reason, it looked slightly familiar. Where had I seen a bracelet like this one before?

"Cool." I said, picking it up. I felt a chill run down my spine as I did so, but I ignored it. I slipped it around my wrist.

"Finders keepers." I said with a slight grin, turning to head back to the house.

Then it hit me, a sharp pain. Right in my chest. I dropped the umbrella and hit the ground on my knees, clutching my heart. I screamed, but the pain refused to go away.

I screamed again, "Damn it! What the hell's going on!" I hadn't felt pain like this before in my whole life. Even the pain I felt when the curse was lifted was nothing compared to this. My eyes filled with tears and my vision went blurry. Fire was being forced through my nerves. I closed my eyes and screamed a wordless cry of pain.

As my eyes flew open, the pain was gone, just as suddenly as it had came.

"What's going on?" I asked myself, worried. "What's happening to me?" I had almost expected to hear the wind answer me. When it didn't, I picked up my mud-stained umbrella from the ground and went home.

Chapter 3

_"It's alright, my little monster," Akito said. "I'm still here. I really love you. Even if you are a monster. I will always love you."_

I woke up screaming. Nightmares, I often had them. But, usually, they had something to do with my past. Nothing in this dream seemed familiar at all.

"Akito, who is that?" I asked myself. "I've never known anyone by that name…" I tried, but couldn't muster a face, or a memory to go with the name.

I looked at my alarm clock, 5:34. Plenty of time for breakfast. I ran down stairs and began to wip up some pancakes.

On the counter I found the note from my aunt. She had left before I'd gotten up, and would be gone for about a week. She'd left enough money for food if we ran out.

After I finished eating my half-burnt pancakes, I dumped the dishes in the sink-not bothering to wash them- and went upstairs to the bathroom to take a shower. The warm water felt good on my cold body.

I changed into my uniform and went down stairs to make coffee. Because I wasn't in a hurry this morning, I had time to actually _make _it, not just use the instant stuff. I watched in silence as the dark brown drops fell through the filter, filling up the pot underneath them. The small lake of coffee caught the drops as they fell.

_I wonder, if it were me falling like that, would there be anyone to catch me before I hit the bottom?_

I poured myself a mug and drank it in one gulp, the warm liquid scorching my throat. I poured some of it into my portable mug, snapped on the lid, grabbed my bag and left for school. Outside, it was sprinkling slightly, but not too bad. I was still mostly dry when I arrived at school.

"Good morning Nomura-san." Yuki greeted me as I walked into homeroom. I was early, and he was the only other one in the room.

"Good morning." I said with a smile. Caffeine always puts me in a good mood.

An awkward silence fell between us, during which some of the other students in the class came in. Some of the girls were glaring at me, obviously jealous that I was talking to Yuki. A group of them walked over to us.

"Good morning Yuki-kun." The blond one, who I guessed was their leader, said. Then she turned to glare at me, and I could have swore I saw fire in her eyes. "_WE_ are the Prince Yuki fan club!" she informed me.

"_Prince_ Yuki?" I said, trying not to laugh at the goofy nickname.

"Yes." Another of the girls informed me. "And if you think-"

"Hello Yuki-kun." Tohru said. She, Hana, and Uo came up to us. The other girls scampered away as Hana looked at them with her lightless eyes, visibly shaken.

_They're not the only ones…_

"Good morning Kairi-san!" Tohru said.

I took another drink of my coffee, only to find there were only a few drops left. "Hey." I reached over to sit the mug on my desk, and as I did so, my sleeve rose up, reveling the black and white bracelet I had found the night before. I'd forgotten I was still wearing it.

Tohru took one look at the bracelet and gasped, face riddled with a shocked expression. Yuki wore a similar one, though his wasn't quite as extreme.

"What's wrong with you two?" Uo asked. "And by the way, where's orange-top?"

"He's sick." Yuki said quickly.

"Um, Kairi-san, can I talk to you?" said Tohru. "In private, this is kinda important."

"Sure." I said, following her out of the classroom. She made sure to close the door behind her. As she did so I saw the others watching us.

"What's so important Tohru?" I asked.

"That bracelet. It's mine." She said. "I lost it the other day, could I have it back please?"

"It's yours?" I questioned skeptically.

"Yes. And I really need it back."

"Where did you lose it?" I asked.

"At school, I don't remember." Said Tohru, her voice sounded a bit frantic.

"I found this in the woods by my house." I said, beginning to get frustrated with her. I didn't know why either. It was just a bracelet, why was I getting so worked up about it?

"Yes, I lost it in the woods!" she said.

"You just said that you lost it at school." I pointed out. "Don't lie to me Tohru. I hate it when people lie to get something from me!" Now I was really angry, why was I getting so worked up?

"I'm not lying! I really need that bracelet back!" she begged.

"I can tell when someone's trying to bull shit me, and it's not working." I said.

"I'm not!"

"Whatever, just leave me alone." I walked back into the class room and sat at my desk just as the bell rang. When Tohru walked in, Yuki gave her a hopeful look, but she shrugged. The teacher began her lecture.

_I hate liars. _I thought to myself. _But why am I so mad about this? It's just a bracelet! I'm messing up my first real friendship over some stupid bracelet? Why does it matter so much to me?_

I avoided Tohru, Yuki, and the others for the rest of the day. I even went as far as to eat lunch in the bathroom to keep away from them. When Yuki tried to approach me after school let out, I darted away as fast as I could. He didn't even try to catch me. But I didn't stop running. I ran all the way home, tears falling from my eyes and down my cheeks. I screwed it up. They'll never want to talk to me again, all because I wouldn't give Tohru that damned bracelet!

I burst though the front door and collapsed onto the floor, sobbing. I was angry. Angry at Tohru for lying and at myself for acting the way I did and at the world for giving me this cursed life.

I reached to pull off the beads. I'd give them to Tohru, if she wanted them so badly she could have them. I'd apologies and ask her to forgive me.

But as I reached to pull them off, I found my self not wanting to. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

"I'll wear them for the rest of the day, and give them to Tohru tomorrow." I reasoned. "I won't see her until then, why shouldn't I wear them?"


	3. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I was sitting in my living room, reading my newest manga and petting my cat when I heard a sound outside my house. By now it had started storming, badly. I had a sudden mental image of someone lost in the woods in this storm. Fast as I could, I pulled a sweat shirt over my head, messing up my glasses as I did so. I took them off and sat them on the table. I grabbed a flashlight I had sat on the table incase the power went out and opened the door. I was hit by a rush of rain and wind.

_This is a bad idea. You're going to get struck by lightning. Just go back inside. There's no one out here._

I closed the door behind me and walked outside. Already the rain had soaked through my cloths.

_Go inside before you catch ammonia!_

"This is stupid." I said to myself. "It was just a tree or something. There's no one out here.

Then, just as I turned to go back, the lightning flashed, and for a brief moment, I saw a tall, long figure sitting in the yard a few yards from where I was standing.

_That was no tree._

"Who's there!" I asked, panicked. I grabbed for the flashlight and turned it on.

There it was, illuminated by my light, a creature the likes of which I had never seen. It was tall, a few good feet taller than me. It was an orangeish-brown color, with long ears. It looked like a cross between a dragon and a mutated rabbet. And, for some reason, it was wearing pants. Why in the hell did this… _thing_ have pants?

And it smelled. It smelled like rotting flesh. It was enough I thought I'd be sick.

It turned to face me, purple eyes flinching a little in the light. It staggered towards me.

I screamed, falling backwards, the flashlight falling to the ground. It rolled far away enough so I couldn't grab it but still just barely see by its dim light.

I scooted away as fast as I could. It was hard to find a grip on the muddy ground. It kept following me, getting closer and closer. As it did, the smell got worse. It was so bad I could hardly keep from throwing up.

It leaned forward, its face almost touching mine. The first think I thought was: _Monster, this thing is some sort of monster._ But, when I looked into its eyes, they were soft, almost sad. It held my gaze for a moment, and I wasn't scared, at least for the time being.

It reached to put its huge hand around my waste. I screamed and kicked, until I realized it was just trying to help me up. After that, I allowed it to do so.

I couldn't stop staring at it. There was something in its eyes, they seemed so familiar. Fierce, but hiding something else just below the surface. Something that, if you didn't look very hard, you couldn't see it at all.

I reached up and touched the side of its face. The skin was rough, but still felt almost human.

_What is this thing?_ I asked myself as I pulled my hand away. I forced a smile. "Can you understand me?" I asked. It nodded.

It raised its hand again, this time pointing to my wrist, the one the bracelet was on.

"You want this?" I asked. It nodded. _Why in the hell did everyone want this bracelet so badly?_

"H-here." I stuttered, handing it to the creature. "Take it." I placed it in his outstretched hand. Then I blinked, and it was gone. Taking its place was Kyo, lying on the muddy ground, passed out, right where the monster had been standing seconds before.

_What the hell is going on here?_

I bent down and shook his shoulder. "Kyo? Can you hear me?" He didn't move.

_It was him. That… _thing _was Kyo. He's cursed, just like me. Just like I used to be. _

Without hesitation, I leaned him against my right side, his arm draping over my shoulder. Clumsily, I stood, and, carrying Kyo with me, went inside. It wasn't easy. It was cold and rainy and I kept slipping in the mud. But somehow, I managed to get him into the house.

Once in the living room, I sat him on the couch and went to go turn on the light, so I could assess the damage. Looking him over, I could see that he had tons of cuts and bruises. His feet were swollen, and he was soaking wet. Nothing looked broken.

"What am I suppose to do now?" I asked myself. In the end, I decided to take him up to my room. Again, with Kyo's motionless body leaning against mine, I started towards the stairs. About half way across the living room, he started to move.

"What the…"

"It's okay." I said, "It's going to be alright Kyo."

"Where am I?" he asked. He sounded very tired and didn't lift his head as he spoke.

"My house." I told him. "I found you in the woods."

"The woods… but then you-"

"Shhhh." I said, calmly as I could. "You need to rest. Go back to sleep."

I don't know if he heard me or not, but he stopped talking as I carried him up the stairs.

_He's not as heavy as I thought he'd be. _But still, it was hard work lugging all that extra weight up the steps. After what seemed like hours, I was laying him down in my own bed, pulling the covers up over his bare, wet chest. It occurred to me that he couldn't just stay soaking wet all night, so I went to the hall closet and grabbed a towel. I took it back to my room with me and tried to dry him off. He didn't move as I did so.

_He's cute, even when he's all beat up like this. _I thought to myself. _But, he hates me. And even if he didn't, I wouldn't stand a chance._

_Why do I feel like this about someone like him! He's been nothing but rude to me since I got here, but I just can't get him out of my mind!_

His eyes flickered open as I reached to dry off his cheek. They showed a mix of anger and fatigue. "What are you doing!"

"Trying to dry you off a little so you don't get ammonia." I said. _I take him in and he treats me like this? Why do I even bother?_ "I'm going to get a first-aid kit from down stairs. Don't move!" I didn't wait for a response before bounding down stairs and digging the first-aid kit out of the medicine cabinet in my aunt's bathroom. I grabbed my glasses of the table before I ran back up stairs. Kyo was still there, shockingly.

"I'm back." I said, slipping through the door. I put on my glasses so I could read the print on the back of the box. "It says-"

"I'll do it myself!" he roared, snatching the box from my hand. "You go dry yourself off." He said the last part more calmly.

"Okay…" I grabbed whatever was at the top my dresser and went to change.

Now garbed in plain jeans and an old plaid button-up shirt, I went back to my room to check on Kyo. He was asleep in the bed, all patched up. The first-aid kit was on the floor next to him.

I walked over, it looked like he'd gotten it done right, better than I could have done anyways.

_He's really good at this._ I thought, rubbing a finger over the thick gauze on his right arm, where a particularly bad wound had been. I slid my desk chair over to the side of the bed and sat down, watching him, and for a moment, that was all I could do.

_I wonder what my aunt would say if she saw I had a guy in my bed?_ I almost laughed at the thought. My aunt often made fun of my lack of a love life. The last time I had ever really liked a guy had been a few years after I had moved in with her. When I tried to tell him how I felt, he told me I was too weird and pushed me away. It hurts so much, to be rejected like that. That's why I push those feeling aside, because I know I'll get rejected again.

"They'll all leave me in the end." I said. "My aunt, Tohru, everyone. Kyo will have to go home again soon, then he'll never give me a passing glance, not ever again. That's how everything in my life is. Because that's who I am, even my name means 'estranged and separated'. I just don't belong. I never did. I'll never belong anywhere, not anymore." I could feel the tears welling up as I spoke the words, knowing they were true. Even living with the Nomura's, I'd felt alone. The only person who'd ever really accepted me, curse and all, was my mother. And now she's dead.

I reached over to the bedside table and opened the music box, letting the music fill the room. Without thinking about what I was doing, I slipped my hand into his, gripping it as hard as I could. I never wanted to let it go, I wanted to hold on to his hand forever, even though he'd never feel that way about me, and I knew that. But still…

I didn't want to feel this way. But I couldn't help it. I felt a strong…_ connection _to him. One I couldn't quite explain.

_You need to get some sleep._ I told myself. _You can figure out what to do about Kyo in the morning. _

I rested my head on the side of the bed, still holding Kyo's hand. It was warm, despite the cold air in the room and outside, and made me feel safe somehow. As I dosed off, I sang along with the music box.

_"Although the scars of yesterday remain,_

_You can go on living as much as your heart believes_

_You can't be born again, although you can change_

_Let's stay together always…"_


	4. Chapter 5

Awe, we've got some really cute scenes coming up in the next few chapters. I hope you guys like it. Sorry it's been so long, I've been kinda sidtracked latly. Well, Enjoy chapter 5! And, if you happen to have a few extra minuets, please give me a quick review. I really want to see what you guys think.

Chapter 5

I awoke slowly the next morning. The first thing I noticed as I crawled out of my deep sleep was the kink in my back. I realized that was from sleeping hunched over in my chair. It took me a few minuets to remember why I'd fallen asleep like that. I could still hear the music box, as well as the rain pelting against the side of the house. I noticed my glasses were gone, though I distinctly remembered falling asleep with them on. Then, there was the warmth of someone stroking my hand, calmly and lovingly. I slowly forced my eyes open and saw Kyo, still lying in my bed, hand still in mine. But he was awake now, and running his fingers across mine affectionately.

I sat up slowly. Apparently, he hadn't noticed I was awake. Very flustered, he pulled his hand away from mine. "Hey." He was blushing, and I could feel my cheeks redden as well.

_God he's cute when he's blushing like that. _"Hey." I stretched, popping my back and shoulders, which felt good after spending the night the way I did.

I reached over and shut the music box. The music came to an instant halt. "Have you seen my glasses?" I asked. He pointed to the nightstand. There they were.

"Did you take them off?" I asked, slipping them back onto my face.

"Yeah, you're not suppose to sleep with them on, are you?" he asked, slightly agitated.

"No, you're not. You can mess them up pretty bad like that, and they're expensive to replace. Thanks." I said.

An awkward silence passed between us for a few minuets. I was staring at him, I couldn't help it.

"What!"

"Nothing…" I said, using all my will power to force myself to look away. "I have some cloths you can borrow."

He glared at me, "I'm not wearing girl's cloths you idiot!"

"Maybe I don't buy girl's cloths." I returned. He looked distraught for a moment.

"I just need a shirt, these pants are fine." He said.

I dug through my dresser and found a plain, navy-blue shirt and tossed it to Kyo, who quickly slipped it on.

"Are you hungry?" I asked. I could feel my stomach growling. I'd skipped dinner the night before. "I could try to make us something if you want…"

He shrugged. "If you want."

"Okay, I'll be right back." I ran down stairs and found a few bowls of instant noodles in the cabinet. I'm not a good cook, and I didn't want to poison Kyo, or myself. Five minuets later I was headed back up the stairs with two bowls of noodles, chop-sticks, napkins, and some water, all stacked neatly on a tray.

"I wasn't sure what you'd want to drink, so I just got you water." I said, sliding open the door with my foot. Kyo was standing in front of my book shelf, looking over the mounds of paper backs piled on top of it.

"That's fine." He said, not looking away.

I sat up the spread on the nightstand, then walked over to him.

"Food's ready." I said.

"You read a lot?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess. You?"

He sighed, "Sometimes." He walked back over to the bed and sat down. I joined him in my chair.

"Instant noodles for breakfast?" He said, looking at the food questionably.

"I'm not a good cook." I confessed.

We ate together, neither of us saying a word. Every time I tried to make a comment, something held me back. I felt like a puppet on a string, like I couldn't control what I was doing.

"Well, I'm full." I said, putting my empty bowl down. "How about you?"

"I'm done."

"I'll go run this down stairs." I said, piling our dished onto the tray. When I reached the kitchen, I just put them in the sink, once again not bothering to wash them. _I'll just do it later._

When I turned around, Kyo was standing in the doorway. I jumped back, I hadn't expected to see him there.

"You scared me!" I yelled, but I still couldn't keep myself from grinning. "Don't ever do that to me again!"

"You saw it, didn't you?" he asked solemnly. He didn't have to explain, I knew what he meant.

"Yeah. I did."

"Then why are you doing this?" he asked. He didn't give me a chance to say anything before he went on. "You saw me, my true form. Why weren't you scared? Why didn't you run away? Didn't it repulse you?" his voice quavered, as if he was about to cry. "Weren't you terrified of me like everyone else!"

"I was scared." I admitted. "At first. But once I realized that you weren't going to hurt me, I wasn't so afraid."

"How did you know I wouldn't hurt you?"

"Your eyes." I said, trying to find a better a explain it to him. "Your eyes were… kind. And sad. I just…_knew_ that you wouldn't hurt me. I know that sounds weird…" I trailed off, not quite sure what to say next. "What was that animal anyways?"

"It's a monster." He said, not looking at me anymore. "I'm a monster."

"You're cursed, aren't you?" I asked, slowly stepping closer.

He nodded. "How did you know?"

"I… I just did." I couldn't explain to him about my past. Not now. Now he was the one who needed comfort. "So, when the beads come off, you… change. Is that it?"

He hesitated. "Yeah, that's how it works. When the beads come off, I turn into a monster."

"You're not a monster." I told him, grabbing his hand. "You're just as human as I am. It's not your fault you're cursed. A curse doesn't make a person a monster Kyo. It's what's inside that determines if you're a monster or not, and you're not Kyo. You're not."

He looked at me through tear-stained eyes. "I've never thought about it like that…"

I smiled, trying to think of a way to make him feel better. "Are you feeling any better?" I asked._ That sounds so lame!_

"I will once this damned rain lets up." He said.

"Is that another part of your curse?" I asked, remembering what Yuki had said before. There was also someone from the Nomura family whose curse involved getting sick when it rained.

"Yeah. You're pretty smart, ya know?"

I blushed. "How many other people know?"

"Just my family, and Tohru." Said Kyo.

_So that's why she wanted the beads back so badly, to get Kyo back to normal. Why hadn't I thought of that before?_

"You can stay here as long as you want." I offered. "My aunt's going to be gone for a few days, and I don't mind having guests."

"Fine, I'll stay. But just until the rain lets up, okay!"

I smiled. _Why was I doing that so much here lately?_ "Okay."


End file.
